Cats Get Second Chance At Life As Surgeons Perform Kidney Transplant

Battling kidney disease, some cats got a second chance at life after surgeons performed kidney transplants at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

According to a report by ABC News, Dr Chad Schmiedt leads the kidney transplant program at the university and is one of only a handful of surgeons who performs the procedure across the world.

Talking to ABC News, Dr Schmiedt said, "One particular thing about cats is that they are so good at hiding their disease. So, a lot of times, cats won't start showing signs of illness and owners won't pick up on signs of illness until it's quite advanced."

He added, ". "And so that's one challenge we face in these animals, is trying to work with those very sick animals."

Dr further shared that the demand for advanced veterinary care is rising as pet ownership has surged over the last 30 years. According to American Pet Products Association's annual survey, as of 2023, 66 per cent of US households - 86.9 million homes - own a pet.

The survey further said that around three-quarters of cat owners said they considered their pets to be a member of the family, which could lead to increased expenses for their care. Just last year, Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets, the APPA survey said.

Dr James A Serpell, professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine said, "It's considered absolutely normal behaviour for people to love their animals, spend whatever it takes to fix their animals when they get sick. You have to go back to the fact that for many people, these animals are like their kids."

Tennessee resident Greg Norwicki's cat Tucker was diagnosed with kidney failure. After many evaluations, he realised that his cat was eligible for a kidney transplant. After the transplant, the cat is still alive and thriving.

"We don't realize how sick our animals are until you see an animal bounce back," Mr Norwicki told the media outlet.

Dr Schmiedt said at the University of Georgia, the surgery costs around $20,000 for both the recipient and donor cat.